Things aren't always Easy
by SNolon
Summary: AU. Life's not always as easy as people try to make it. In fact, things aren't always easy-peasy. Lily and Miley experienced this first hand through the troubling times of abusive family relationships and a town's bigoted point of view. After managing to escape their town, Lily and Miley start a new life together but is this new life enough? What challenges with they face together?
1. An Introduction

_AU. Life's not always as easy as people try to make it. In fact, things aren't always easy-peasy. Lily and Miley experienced this first hand through the troubling times of abusive family relationships and a town's bigoted point of view. After managing to escape their town, Lily and Miley start a new life together but is this new life enough? What challenges with they face together?  
_

* * *

"_I love you, Lilly Truscott," Miley said to her girlfriend._

"_I love you too, Miley Stewart," Lily said in response._

* * *

Growing up in a small town, you quickly realize what is allowed and what is not. One of the things that was certainly _not_ allowed was homosexuality; whether between two men or two women. In fact, even in this year, things were not always so easily defined.

If you kept it quiet, people generally did not ask questions; however, if you brought it to the open, then people suddenly had an issue with it. Therefore, Lily and Miley had no choice but to keep their relationship a secret. Unfortunately for them both, this was easier said than done.

"Lily Truscott! What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Her mother asked.

"Get your hands off my daughter!" Screamed Miley's father.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Miley asked, still holding her girlfriend.

"Mom?" Lilly asked, confused as to why her mom and Miley's dad were here, since they were far enough out in the swamp.

"We were told by your brother, thank goodness, that you two were up to this! How dare you embarrass our family?" Miley's father said, grabbing his daughter, "And you, stay away from my daughter!" He directed, with much anger, toward Lily.

"Yeah," Lily's mother said as she grabbed her own daughter, "The two of you need to _never_ see each other again! What's you're doing just ain't natural!"

* * *

Five days had passed and Lily had not seen nor heard from Miley since. Her own mother had beat her, without leaving any visual marks, so she was afraid to go and see Miley for worse may be waiting her; however, as time went on and it had been two more days, _seven_ in total, she began to grow concerned.

"Jackson," she asked seeing Miley's older brother at the ice cream shop, "How is your sister?"

"Don't ask about my sister, _queer,_" Jackson retorted.

"Hey, _you_," the shop owner said, "Out of my store!"

At first, Lily was thinking the older man meant Jackson but, after actually being kicked out, she got the message. In fact, it was only growing worse. Although her mother allowed Lily to continue visiting town, the people of her hometown slowly began to hate Lily more and more. Unfortunately this meant that they could abuse her, without any worry from the law.

Lily sighed as she exited town and started heading in the direction of home but, after some time of thinking, she quickly made a quick detour and entered the woods. She eventually came to a fork in the road but, instead of turning either direction, she walked straight. By the time she made it to a strange looking tree, it was nearly nine o'clock at night. She slowly climbed the tree until she was at the top. Unlike the other trees, this tree oversaw the whole forest and could even see into the town.

Even so, it was shielded by branches so that no one, whether below or around it, could see what was about the tree. It was here that Miley and Lily had long ago built their tree house. Lily sighed as she entered the tree house and looked around. The light was off but Lily thought she saw a shadow of a person in the corner, "Miley?" She asked.

There was no response so Lily was about to turn on the light.

"No," Miley's voice sounded out, "Don't look at me."

"Miley," Lily said in a soothing voice, "Please."

Miley began to cry, "I'm ugly," she said in a sob, "he made sure of it."

Lily smiled, "Miles, I love you. Please, let me see you."

Miley sighed, "Okay," she lightly said, "but, please, don't hurt me. I can't handle it."

Her voice sounded so _defeated_ that Lily wanted to cry herself, but she knew she couldn't. Not when her best friend and love was crying herself. So, with a heavy heart, Lily turned on the light and then silently gasped.

Miley, the most beautiful woman in the world, had a black eye and a broken nose. Dried blood was all over her face and she looked so worn and hurt that it made Lily want to cry. She couldn't though, not when her girlfriend needed her the most.

Lily quickly grabbed a first aid kit and began to take care of Miley as best as she could. She even reset Miley's nose, using the first aid training she had learned in school and girl scouts.

The night was long but, eventually, they managed to make it through.

* * *

"Miles," Lily said holding her girlfriend's naked form in her arms, "We need to leave this town."

"I know," Miley said, "We're both nineteen. We can easily leave."

Lilly nodded her head, "I know but we've never been out of this town, let alone this state. Where can we go?"

Miley sighed, "Well," she said gently, "We can always go to California. People are more accepting there."

Lilly nodded her head, "I just never expected our parents to betray us like this. Your brother, yeah, a little bit but my mom? Your dad? I," she began to softly cry, "Sorry," she apologized.

Miley shook her head, "Shh, baby," she shushed her girlfriend, rubbing her neck a little, "Be careful of your ribs, okay?"

Lilly laughed a little then groaned, "Why'd mom have to kick me, Miles? What did we ever do to them? I don't get why they hate us."

Miley shook her head, "I don't know, Lilly. I really don't know. I just want to get out of here and never look back," she admitted out loud, "I always thought family could fix anything, withstand everything, but I guess not?"

Lily sighed, rubbing her girlfriend's knee, "Don't worry, baby, we'll get out of here. Okay?"

Miley shook her head, "I know, baby, I just can't wait."

Lily smiled, "Well, we have plenty of money. Thank goodness we saved up, huh?"

Miley laughed, shaking both their bodies, "Yeah," she admitted, "I'm glad we did save up. Frankly, I'm glad you had the idea," she kissed her girlfriend's neck heck, "I'm also _very_ glad for you."

Lily smiled, "Well, let's lay low for a while and get our energy back. You did a good job wrapping my ribs but I do need to not move too much," she admitted, "so laying here with you is enough."

Miley nodded her head, "Okay. Besides, we can see what they're up to from here anyway."

Lily smirked, "True," she nodded her head, "I'm just glad we never told anyone about this place."

* * *

**Author's note:**

In the next chapter, two months will have passed by. Miley and Lily will be living in a small town in California while working as waitresses/singers.


	2. Chapter 1

Due to this being AU, let's just mention now that both Miley and Lilly sing professionally well. I decided to do it this way so that both women can express themselves and so that, even more so, they can sing duets. ^-^

* * *

Miley/Hannah sighed as she scratched at her blonde wig, "Man, I hate the feeling of this thing," she admitted to Lilly/Lola.

"I know, babe, but we had to change our appearances and names to make sure our parents never find us."

Hannah sighed, "Fine," she manage, "but, you know, I'll _never_ get used to this wig." She groaned.

Lola smirked, "Well, _Hannah,_ it's been two months so get over it!"

Hannah laughed and shook her head, "Well, our shift is coming up anyways."

Lola smirked, grabbing her head, "Then let's go, silly Billy," she winked at her girlfriend who laughed.

* * *

After their long shift at the small diner, both Hannah and Lola prepared to go on the stage.

"Ladies and gentleman, let's hear it for our _very own _Hannah Montana and her cute girlfriend, Lola Luftnagle!"

Hannah laughs, "I swear she's got a crush on you," she whispers to Lola, who just blushes looking down.

"Thank you, everyone, and welcome to the Java Smoothie," Hannah smiles saying the proper greeting by heart, "As you all know, my girlfriend and I have been working here for at the Java Smoothie for almost a month and we've been singing for just as long; thank you all for your continued patronage and for enjoying our songs." She smiles, waving to them all.

The crowd applauds and then one guy shouts, "Sing already!"

Lola laughs, "Fine, if you insist, but," she suddenly gets serious, "if no one likes it, we're sending them to you!" She shouts the last part, winking at the guy, who laughs a little awkwardly.

Hannah cues the music, smiling at her girlfriend, who's gotten used to the stage more and more. As the music the starts, it is a soft melody and that Hannah wrote herself with Lola's help. The melody is soft yet haunting, with an ethereal feeling to it.

**[Hannah]**

**There's a mirror that shows me what I hate**

**And another that shows me what I love.**

**[Lola]**

**A family that's abandoned me,**

**Another that's accepted me.**

**[Hannah]**

**A place where I can never know,**

**And a place where I'm always alive.**

**[Lola]**

**A place where I can know that there's**

**A love for me!**

**[Hannah]**

**A place where I can find everylasting memories,**

**A love for me! To find...**

**[Lola]**

**To find...**

**To find a place for us to stand.**

**[Duet - ]**

**Where we can never be alone,**

**A place where we are never alone.**

**[Hannah]**

**Family that loves us, where we can go,**

**[Duet - ] Never alone, never alone.**

**[Hannah]**

**But that is far away,**

**In reality; my family hates me.**

**[Duet - ]**

**For what I've done,**

**For who I love;**

**Never alone.**

**Always a foe...**

**Never alone, never alone, never alone,**

**Always the mob never ends;**

**Never goes away.**

**[Hannah]**

**Always, always, a hate-filled voice;**

**Killer eyes that never ceise.**

**[Duet - ]**

**Fathers that hate us,**

**Mothers that hurt us,**

**Brothers that kill us,**

**Sisters that abandon me and you.**

**[Lola]**

**Always alone, never a friend,**

**Until I met you.**

**[Hannah]**

**When I saw into your eyes,**

**I knew, I knew; Never alone.**

**[Lola]**

**Always a friend to call my own,**

**Never alone, never alone.**

**[Hannah]**

**Always a friend to call my own,**

**My very own; my own to call my own.**

**[Duet -]**

**I never let you go, no no no no,**

**I'll never abandon you, my love,**

**For never will the price become too high for you!**

**[Lola]**

**Never alone, never alone, never alone;**

**Never too high a price for you!**

**[Hannah]**

**Never alone, never alone, oh oh oh oh,**

**Never alone! No, we're never alone, baby!**

**[Duet - ]**

**As long as we have one another,**

**We're never alone! Never alone! Never alone!**

**Oh, oh, oh, oh oh oh oh oh! Never alone,**

**Oh baby baby oh baby! Never alone.**

**[Repeats x 2 / Lola x Hannah]**

**For I have you...**

As the music ends, the crowd cheers and a few people are crying. Although it isn't the saddest song in their collection, it was one of the first they wrote together during their escape from their hometown and it shows their raw feelings of being abandoned yet having hope for the future in one another.

"Another song!" Someone shouts from the audience.

Hannah laughs, looking over to their manager, Stacey, who gives her a nod.

"Alright," she sighs, "but, this next song isn't as hopeful as the last one. So, don't say we didn't warn you; okay?" She looks to Lola and the band, "In your tears?" They all nod.

The band begins to play a haunting melody, much more darker than the last, and as it begins the crowd is silenced by a drum beat that beats every few seconds and timed to begin and end with each stanza.

**[Hannah]**

**In your tears, I find sadness and hurt.**

**I feel alone and nobodies home.**

**My father is gone and I feel alone.**

**Your mother has gone and no one knows.**

**No one sees the pain underneath your skin.**

**The blade is close as is my skin.**

**I want to cut, I want to fall; I want to fail.**

**I could just lean in and feel nothing but the blade.**

**I want to know what it's like to die,**

**I could easily just fall and fade away.**

**I could just fade away and no one would know.**

**[Lola]**

**I would. I would see it in your tears.**

**I would know what it's like to live and watch you die.**

**I couldn't live without you. Oh, please, don't leave.**

**Don't let me fall away without you. I couldn't live.**

**I'd rather die. Please, do not leave me alone.**

**I could never do it without you.**

**Life would never be the same; without you.**

**Don't leave me alone; I couldn't survive.**

**Without your tears, I'd feel so alone.**

**And in your tears, I see a hope.**

**[Duet -]**

**A hope for a brighter future;**

**A hope for a time without the pain.**

**A hope for a time without the sorrow,**

**A time where are parents love us.**

**An understanding forever where,**

**We can be in love forevermore.**

**A love that never ends,**

**Never ceases to amaze us.**

**Never ceases to amaze us;**

**In your tears, is what I want to be.**

**[Hannah]**

**I want to be,**

**[Lola]**

**I want to be.**

**[Duet -]**

**In. Your. Tears.**

Finally, as the song ends, everyone is in tears. The song clearly getting to them as Hannah and Lola take a bow. Just as much as the song got to the audience, it had gotten to the two artists just as much and they need a few moments to freshen up.

"Thank you everyone," Lola manages to say.

Hannah just waves, following her girlfriend off stage.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Just to put it put there, the two songs are my original creations.


	3. Chapter 2

After their singing, Hannah and Lola were sitting off to the side. Hannah was drinking a bottle of water, which she was sharing with Lola, and Lola was seated on her lap. Both sighed as they looked around. Lola was also happily eating some french fries.

"Excuse me?" A male voice asked, "Can I speak with the two of you?"

Hannah looked over at the man, who was balding and looked to be in his late fifties, "Yes, sir," she smiled, "What can we do for you?"

He smiled, sitting down and pulling out two business cards, "My name is Anthony Straight," he handed one to Hannah and one to Lola, "I represent a number of talented people and would like to represent the two of you."

Lola's mouth dropped, "Really? I mean," she hesitated, "Hannah's good, but me? I sound worse than a pig in a farm house where the door was left open on a cold Saturday night."

The man laughed, "Well, I happen to disagree. Honestly, Stacey is a friend of mine and asked me to come down and listen to the two of you and, if those two songs are any indication, I want to sign you immediately."

Hannah raised her right eyebrow, "Really?" She had heard of this man before and he owned Straight Entertainment, which was a bit of misnomer, since they signed a bunch of gay and bisexual talents. Nevertheless, they were one of the top-rated agencies.

"Yes ma'am," he said with a smile, "I believe the two of you have what it takes to be truly one-of-a-kind and your story, if the songs are any indication, would be an instant hit; along with, I would say, helping other people."

Hannah looked to Lola and then back to Anthony, "We'll think about it, Mr. Straight. Honestly."

He smiled and then, standing, shook both of their hands, "Please, let me know. I really _am_ interested in signing the two of you."

As soon as he left, Stacey walked over, "So?" She asked, sounding _very_ excited. Stacey was one of the first real friends that Hannah and Lola had made. In fact, she was the only one who knew their secret. They had quickly become close friends and, due to her age, Stacey had become a mother figure to them.

"You set us up," Hannah smirks, "Didn't you?"

Stacey laughs, "I did, I did," she admits, "So, what did you say?"

Lola shrugs, "That we'd think about it."

Stacey's mouth opens, "You do realize that he owns one of the largest agencies in the world, right?"

Hannah sighs, "Stacey, if our parents find us," she looks down, "Yes, we're over eighteen; no, they can't force us back but…" She sighs again, remembering how bad her father hurt her.

Lola sighs as well, rubbing Hannah's arm, "I know, sweetie," she says with a lot of love.

Stacey nods, "I know but, as I've said before, you have a lot to teach other women. I just don't want you to waste your voice like I have," she shakes her head, "Don't get me wrong, I love the _glamorous _job here." She laughs.

Hannah smiles, "Stacey, we'll do it on one condition."

Stacey raises a right eyebrow, "Oh?"

Lola smirks, knowing where her girlfriend is going, "You quit managing the restaurant and manage us."

Stacey shakes her head, "Girls, I haven't been in the singing field in a _long_ time; let alone managed someone!" She nearly screamed the last part but, thankfully, caught herself and lowered her voice.

Hannah laughs, smiling and touching the older woman's hand, "Stacey, we trust you. Okay? We trust your opinion and we trust _you_; we trusted you with our secret because you've been more of a mother to us than our own parents. We know you have our best interest at heart and, frankly, we don't want to do this alone."

As Stacey looked at the two women, she saw two scared little girls. Granted, they were adults by age but, truthfully, they were still scared little girls within. Abused, frightened, little girls.

"Alright," she agreed, "I'll do it," she smirked, "but don't say I didn't warn you."

Lola laughed, biting into more french fries, "Besides," she said with a twinkle in her eyes, "Lola needs more money for food."

Hannah shook her head, "Best to feed her, then." She agreed.

* * *

As the three women entered the office, they noticed that only Mr. Straight sat in the office. "Hello ladies," he said as he shook each of their hands, "Please, sit." He must have noticed their confused looks and, as they sat down, he explained, "I decided to dispense with the formalities due to the nature of your songs. Frankly, I am guessing either one, or both of you, have previously been abused?"

Hannah nodded, sighing a little, "Yes, sir," she admitted.

Anthony sighed, "Okay," he shook his head, "I want to tell you a story. Please listen all the way through, okay?"

All three of them nodded in the affirmative.

He began his story, "Years ago, when my daughter was still quite young, she realized that she liked women. I was the first she came out to. Although I was initially shocked, my wife and I did our best to support her. Unfortunately, not all of her friends or even her teachers were supportive. Eventually, she did gain a girlfriend. What neither my wife nor I knew was that this 'girlfriend' was really just using my daughter, Bethany, in order to use her in a cruel joke. The joke was meant to be displayed during her high school Prom." He sighed, taking a breath then continued, "Well, Bethany found out and confronted her girlfriend, who in reality was only pretending to be gay, and once she found out she was, needless to say, hurt and distraught. Well, eventually it became too much for her. Well, her mother and I were unaware of all of this, but we were scheduled to chaperone that year's Prom. Well, when the curtain opened for Prom everyone discovered that, instead of a band, our daughter's body was hung by a rope. The other young girl was on the floor, next to her, and had been stabbed to death."

The three women gasped. Although Stacey was Anthony's friend, she hadn't known all of the details of his personal life; just that he was willing to work with everyone and anyone who was musically talented and good-natured.

He shook his head again, "Yeah; the police marked it as a murder-suicide and, after speaking to several of the student body, discovered the truth of why our Bethany committed two such terrible acts." He shakes his head, "I'll never forget seeing my darling little girl hanging there." He sighed, closing his eyes then reopening them, "Well, after that terrible event, my wife's mind slowly began to go. I eventually had to commit her to a mental institution, where she slowly gave up on life, until she died months later."

Anthony looked into Hannah's eyes, "Anyway," he said sounding a little stronger, "I already owned this record company and, although I had always accepted people of different walks of life, after that I redeveloped my company to focus more on those who were gay or bisexual. Obviously, we still accept everyone but we focus on those who were hurt, or are being hurt, and are gay or bisexual. I do this in order to make sure my Bethany and my Melanie's lives were not wasted." He sighed, looking over to Lola, "This is why you can trust me. With anything, because I won't harm you nor will I allow any harm to befall you."

Both Hannah and Lola nod their heads, "Well," Hannah finally says, feeling her throat drying up a little, "I think we can trust you." Lola nods.

**Both Hannah and Lola proceed to tell Anthony about their lives in the hometown, along with the fact that they are going by fake names.**

* * *

"I see," Anthony says, "Well," he smirks, "The first thing we need to do is get you completely new, and legal, identities. The ones you have are fine but they need to be legalized."

Hannah looks confused, "How?"

Anthony continues to smirk, "As I've said, my company deals with a lot of people who have previously been abused. I know a lot of government officials who, although they aren't supposed to, do help me out every so often. No law against it, mind you, but just not something we advertise." He is only admitting this due to trusting Stacey.

Lola, who had been relatively quiet, begins to cry. "Thank you," she says, "We," she doesn't know what to say, "Thank you." It's all she can say.

Hannah, unable to say anything, just places her hand on Lola's and rubs it.

Stacey smiles, also feeling taken aback, but grateful.

Anthony nods, "No problem," he smiles, "Now," he gets serious, "I also want to assign you a bodyguard. I know of one lady, who is currently working somewhere else, but I may be able to convince her to do this. She's the best bodyguard I know and will protect you without hesitation. The only thing she requires is one hundred percent honesty."

Hannah and Lola share a look, nodding to one another, and then Hannah speaks, "Well," she finally says, "If you trust her, okay."

Anthony smiles, "Okay. I'll call her in a few minutes. Did you guys have any questions?"

Stacey looks to the other two then back to Anthony, "No, Anthony, we can settle the basics after all of this. We're just _really_ grateful for you handling this for us."

Anthony smiles, standing up and shaking their hands again, "No problem and I want to see the three of you do great things. I fully hope you will use these new lives for the best." He hugs all three of them as well, "Be strong," he says to Hannah and Lola. They nod, appreciating him and his efforts.

* * *

"Roxy, go," she says into her phone.

"Roxy, it's Anthony. I need a favor." He sounds concerned.

"What is it?" She asks in all seriously, knowing Anthony wouldn't call for no reason.

"I have two young women who have been abused by their parents for being gay, along with loving one another. I see great things in them but I'm concerned for their safety. I would like you to guard them. Would you be willing to do it?"

Roxy thought about it for a moment, "Okay, Anthony; I'll do it. You know Roxy's one rule, though."

Anthony smiles, "Of course. Due to the nature of the situation though, I'll explain _everything_ in person. Alright?"

Roxy nods, "Of course. Oh, and Anthony, don't worry. Roxy's like a puma," she smirks and hangs up the cellphone.

Roxy sighs, entering the office of her current boss, "Mr. President?" She says with a respectful yet firm tone.

The President smiles, looking at her, "What is it, Roxy?" He sounds concerned; Roxy is family to him, she's been with him for years.

"I need to place my notice. An old friend needs me." Roxy says with a hint of sadness, yet concern for her friend.

The President smiles, nodding his head and looking sad himself, "Well, I know that look. You need to do it," he stated instead of asked, "but, just so you know, this job is always here for you when you want it back."

Roxy nodded her head, "I know; thank you, sir," she didn't want to cry so she just started to walk off, "I need to go say goodbye to Sophie," she sighs, not looking forward to saying goodbye or, at least, _see you _to the girl who Roxy had helped change from being a spoiled kid to a wonderful friend and a sort-of younger sister.

The President nods, "Alright," he says, sighing as the door closes, "Well, I'm going to," he sighs, looking down at the table, "miss her." He shakes his head.

* * *

**Two weeks later**

Once again, the three ladies were asked to come and meet Anthony.

"Well," Anthony said with a smile, "Your bodyguard has just arrived and, honestly, I'm excited for you to meet her."

The door then opened, revealing a heavyset African American woman who, although sometimes serious, had the biggest and kindest heart.

"Hi," she said, "I'm Roxy."

Everyone shook hands and smiled at one another.

"So," Anthony began, after everything settled down, "One of the things we need to discuss is your identities. I have spoken with some people and you're both legally Hannah Montana and Lola Luftnagle," he then proceeded to hand them both two bags. Inside the bags, they each had IDs, driver licenses, a passport, birth certificate, along with other forms of ID's.

Hannah's eyes widened, "Wow," she said, honestly speechless.

"That's not all," Anthony admitted, "I would like to pay for some treatments that will permanently change your looks; in order to better hide you from your families."

Lola nodded her head and said, with a smirk, "I guess you won't have to worry about that itch wig anymore, Hannah."

Hannah laughed, "I guess not," she said with a smile.

Stacey sighed, tapping her fingers together nervously, "Also," she begun and then hesitated when the two young women looked at her, "Part of your background," she gulped then continued, "well, we were thinking that it would make sense if I was Hannah's godmother and that's how we knew one another. No one at the restaurant would know any better, since I don't know them outside of work."

"Anyway," she begun again, "When Hannah was seventeen, her parents died and Hannah was already secretly dating Lola, who a mutual friend of mine and Anthony's, has agreed to 'adopt' her so to speak. No one would know any better." She looks over to Hannah and Lola, "I mean, if that sounds fine to the two of you." The forty year old was very nervous about this suggestion, since she was unable to have children herself, but the two young women had quickly become daughters to her.

Hannah smiled, wrapping her arms around Stacey, "Stacey," she sniffed, "_Mom_," she added on, "I," she smiled, "I'd be honored to call you my mother." She smiled at her.

Lola hugged Stacey as well, then looked over to Anthony, "So, who is this mutual friend?"

Anthony smirked, "An oil tycoon who has two other children. It so happens that he had an affair nearly twenty years ago. As far as anyone will be concerned, you're the result." Lola raises her right eyebrow, "And they're just willing to go along with this?"

Stacey smiles, "Not everyone is a bad person, Lola. Jordan is a good man and an excellent father. He loves his children and he's agreed to do this because he doesn't want to see the two of you hurt any longer. In order to prevent your family from finding you, we need iron-tight lives for you. No one must know who you really are."

Lola sank in her seat, "I'm sorry. I'm just overwhelmed."

Stacey nods her head, "I know."

Lola thinks for a moment, "Jordan? You don't mean Jordan Stoko, do you?" Jordan Stoko was an Italian American whose family has lived in Texas since before it became a state. In fact, they also owned the one of world's largest Oil Company, with refineries all around the world.

Stacey smiles, "He's the one," she laughs at Lola's shocked face, "Anyway, he had been helping to support your mother and you for years but, more recently, he has attempted to gain entry into your life. Obviously, you'll need to meet with him and his two children, now your half-brother and sister, but as far as anyone will be aware you've been meeting in secret. We figure once Hannah and you become famous, which we suspect will be right before the first album; people will research Lola's life. They'll find her mother died right before when you found out about your father. Your mother was a drunk and dated various men, who would beat you, which your mother didn't care about due to your sexual orientation. Eventually, you wanted to find your real father was."

Hannah looked shocked, "Sweet niblets, you've two have put a lot into this."

Anthony chuckles, "Yep. Anyway, as you can see on the birth certificate, you'll notice we placed you both born in Tennessee. Later, after her parent's death, Hannah moved in with Stacey. She was homeschool and, due to how much she was hurting, didn't want to go out much. Lola and her remained in good contact but didn't see each other for a bit, other than Skype or other such contact, but did eventually meet up again. That happened when Lola moved out here to California, after spending some time with her father and siblings."

Lola nodded her head, "Okay," she said as she tried to memorize all of this.

Anthony smirked, seeing the look on Lola's face, "Don't worry, sweetie, you don't have to remember every detail."

Lola blushed a crimson shade that matched her current hair, "Okay," she added sheepishly.

Anthony continued, "Anyway, this helped convince Hannah, who had been going through a little depression, both due to her parents forcing her to stop seeing Lola a couple years before, along with her parents later dying in a car crash. After seeing Lola again though, while living with Stacey, this helped her and made her realize how much she really did love and miss her."

Hannah nodded her head, "So," she said while blinking her eyes, "Why all the death and abuse?" She smirked.

Anthony shrugged, "We had to explain your songs somehow. I mean, you sing about your parents who hurt you due to who you love."

Hannah smacked her head, "Oh, yeah," she said, "duh." She smiled sheepishly.

Lola laughed, rubbing her girlfriend's cheek, "It's okay, baby," she smiled.

Stacey smiled, shaking her head.

Roxy, who had been relatively quiet, finally spoke, "Obviously, my part in this is simple. Anthony hired me to guard the two of you, albeit for different reasons."

Hannah and Lola nod their heads, "By the way," Hannah speaks up, "Thank you for doing this, Roxy." Roxy smiled, seeing the scared look in Hannah's eyes, "No problem," she admitted, "It's my pleasure."


	4. Chapter 3

**Three Weeks Later**

It was hard to believe that three weeks had passed by. Between the private doctors, who were all good friends of either Anthony or Stacey, both Hannah and Lola looked completely different. Both women looked like completely different women. Hannah no longer needed a wig as her hair was augmented to now look completely different, including a relatively permanent dying job, which would last for years with little repeat medical visits.

In fact, some of Anthony's more _secretive_ friends had even erased and reapplied Hannah and Lola's prints. It was almost something out of a spy magazine. Anthony hadn't told the two women too much about who he knew, but what Anthony did mention was that, due to him working with a lot of abuse cases, he sometimes gained friends who would help him out later in life.

Nevertheless, however, Anthony had gained such friends Hannah and Lola were just that; Hannah and Lola. Miley and Lilly no longer existed, not even to themselves. In fact, Hannah guessed that even her father and her brother would be hard pressed to pick her or Lola out of a line up. Their hair color, eye color, and even fingerprints were all changed. Again, Hannah was shocked by the length that Anthony and Stacey went to in order to help them.

Don't get her wrong, she appreciated it with all her heart but she was shocked. She couldn't help but wonder if she deserved to even be treated with such friendship. No one back home had treated Miley or Lilly with respect. If only they had done so, maybe she and Lily never would have had to run away. Hannah sighed and, for the last time ever, said goodbye to Miley and Lily.

* * *

**Five Months Later, August**

* * *

"Sometimes, I forget just how you make me feel," Hannah sung out with all her heart.

"Sometimes, I wish I could be alone," she continued while watching the crowd.

"Sometimes, I only want to die," she sang with a bleeding heart.

"Sometimes, my only friend a knife," she said as tears rolled down her cheek.

"Sometimes, I never want to die," she said with some hope.

"Sometimes, I wish. Oh, how I wish, to die," she continued.

"But, sometimes, just sometimes, a single hope is born," the tempo increasing now.

"When I look into your eyes, sometimes, sometimes, sometimes, I see forever; forever, when I look into your eyes; sometimes, forever, forever, forever; forever, never alone. Sometimes, sometimes, I forget what it's like to die, alone." Hannah smiled and waved to the crowd, thanking them.

* * *

"That was Hannah Montana singing _Sometimes Alone_," the man on the television said, "in the past five months, the duo _Luftnagle and Montana_ has skyrocketed in the charts. In fact, they've had more top hits in the past five months than a lot of famous bands. How do you explain this, Tommie?"

Tommie, a beautiful dark-skinned female, spoke, "Well, Max, I think it's clear that their love speaks for itself. They clearly love one another and that shows through their songs. Not to mention the horrible abuse that they both suffered. Frankly, even after all that, both Hannah and Lola still smile. It's incredible."

"That's very true, Tommie," Max agreed.

* * *

"On other news, Lola Luftnagle, half of Luftnagle and Montana, was seen hanging out with her half-brother Joseph J. Stoko. We have only recently learned about her relationship to Jordan Stoko and, when asked about his affair, Mr. Stoko had this to say;"

"Well," the smiling face of Mr. Stoko appeared on the screen, "As those older folks are aware, one of the many things that lead to the divorce between myself and my ex-wife, Stephanie, was several affairs that both she and I had. We just never loved one another. Unfortunately, neither of us saw this, until it was too late. Well, obviously, we both committed affairs but we never really spoke with one another. We gave each other two beautiful children, who we both have always loved, but do I regret what I did? No, not really. I know it's not the answer you were looking for but, frankly, how many years has it been?" He laughs here, "Stephanie and I have settled all of our differences since then and, quite honestly, I wish her the best of luck in her new design line. More pressing though, I get to finally admit that my youngest daughter, Lola Luftnagle, is mine. I love all my children very much and," his smile grew here, "I love getting to see them and their chosen mates. I love spending time with family. Nothing is more important than that. Thank you," he said with a wave as he walked off Stoko International's press release stage.

"We also managed to interview Ms. Stacey Longtitle, Jordan Stoko's ex-wife;"

"Frankly, my ex-husband and I made peace with one another long ago. Frankly, I don't see what the big deal is. I mean, I've moved on and so has he," she laughs here, "Even more funny is that I have three children that were from affairs, while I was married to him, but I don't see ya'll making that a big deal. Yes, I've met Lola and Hannah and, frankly, they're both lovely young ladies and I was them the best." With that, she waved to the reporters as she entered the hotel; the reporters being kept out.

* * *

"Hannah and Lola really aliens in disguise? One Nebraskan man seems to think so," the man dressed in a blue suit reported.

* * *

"So, I hear Hannah and Lola really like pussies," the comedian says.

The crowd laughs, some ooh's and ah's from the shocked crowd.

"That's right," he said on the stage, "Well, it's no surprise, of course, but reporters recently found photos of them visiting an animal shelter and adopting six cats. Apparently, they believe that no pussy should be left behind."

A rimshot is heard, but no one claps.

"I said," he repeated, "No puss—"

"Get off the stage," someone shouts.

"Boo!"

* * *

"And that was the scene as comedian Jimmy Longfingers was booed off the stage tonight earlier during one of sets."

* * *

"Man," Hannah says as she lies down on the hotel bed, "What a day!" She groans, turning the television off.

Lola laughs, smirking as she crawls on top of Hannah, "Tired of seeing yourself on television?"

Hannah smirks, eyes sparkling a little, "No, never tired of that. Although, there is this purple haired girl taking all the camera time."

As Hannah settled this, Lola glared, "Oh yeah?" She grinned, tickling her best friend in the ribs, "Perhaps that's not all I'll take?"

Hannah smiled, "Promise?"

Lola grinned, "Oh, yeah," as she began to nibble on Hannah's neck.

Hannah had only one thing she could say, "Eep!", as she stole Lola's line.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hannah's Point of View**

Lola and I were sitting back stage, getting our hair done, before going on the Ellen show. Don't get me wrong, we had been doing a lot of interviews lately, but this was _Ellen_ and I was excitedly nervous. The best part about it? We didn't have to defend ourselves against anything related to us being gay. Other talk show hosts had decided to say things against us (granted, they later had to issue a public 'apology' later) but, still, I knew Ellen would, obviously, not do that. Nevertheless, I was still nervous. Ellen had been an idle of mine for years, even while living back in Tennessee.

* * *

"Please welcome our next guests; Lola Luftnagle and Hannah Montana!"

There were _lots _of cheers from the audience, who were mostly women, which set me at ease. Don't get me wrong, I had met a lot of wonderful men since we had become famous but, after the betrayal of my father and brother, I had been very antsy around men.

"Hannah, Lola," Ellen smiled as she got up to hug us.

"Hey," I said a little nervously, then sat down.

"You look nervous, Hannah," Ellen commented.

I smiled, "Well, I've been dying to meet you," I admitted.

Lola laughed, "It's true, we either have to watch every episode or have it recorded."

I blushed, "Well, you're a hero of mine."

Ellen smiled, "Aw," she said and hugged me again, "Thank you."

I smiled, "You're welcome."

Ellen chuckled, "So, Hannah, you watched the show back home?"

I nodded, "Yeah, in secret, mind you. My parents were never fans of your show; or any homosexuals really."

Ellen nodded, "I see. I was reading on your website about Lola and your backgrounds. The two of you have been through a lot, really."

I sighed again, fidgeting a little, and Lola put a hand on my knee to comfort me. "Sorry," I said, "It's just tough to talk about my family. Not only the abuse but, then, they died in a car crash as well." I sighed, "Sorry."

Ellen still smiled but looked compassionate, "Hey, it's fine," she said taking my hand, "I can't say I understand completely, but no one here is judging you."

I nodded my head, "Thanks," I sighed again, "I'm more comfortable singing than speaking about my issues," I laughed, "I still tell my story in song but it's easier, ya'know?" I shrugged.

Ellen laughed now, "A lot of singers go through that. I was talking with Allen Young about that the other day, actually."

I gushed, "Really? I love his music. Very talented."

Ellen laughed, looking over to Lola, "Better watch it, he might steal her away," she teased.

Lola laughed as well, "Nah, I know Hannah's all mine."

I blushed, "Lola," I said in a whiny voice.

"It's true," Lola said.

I sighed, my shoulders sagging, "Well," I paused, "Yeah," I admitted in a defeated voice.

Ellen smiled, obviously happy for us, "I love how you two are _so_ good for one another. I mean, I listen to your music and it almost wants to make me depressed but, then, in the end I'm listening to you confess your love to one another. It's just so beautiful." She smiled.

I nodded my head, "Yeah, we try to always build each other up so we show that in our songs."

Ellen nodded, "By the way, I notice a lot of references to cutting and self-mutilation in your songs. Do you still do that?" She sounded concerned, like a mother would.

I shake my head, "No. Lola and I would never endorse that either; however, we do want to be truthful as well. After my family abused me, I looked toward self-mutilation and found that cutting really helped. At least, temporarily."

Lola nodded her head, "I turned to drinking a little as well but, after I saw her scars one night, I knew I needed to stop and managed to get us some help."

Ellen smiled, "Was that before or after you met Anthony and Stacey?"

I spoke up, "Well, of course, Lola met with her birth father before coming to see me, but I had already been cutting before that."

Lola continued, "I was drinking heavily before meeting my father, along with my brother and sister, but they helped me a little to slow down. I kept it up but stopped after I saw Hannah again. I knew that, after seeing her body, I really did have to stop."

Ellen smiled, "So, in a way, you helped one another?"

I nodded my head, "Yeah," I answered truthfully, "One night, I was in the hospital after cutting myself a little too severely. If it wasn't for Stacey and Lola, I'd be dead."

Lola nodded her head, "I told her that either the cutting stopped, or I was leaving. I know it's not what most psychologists recommend we do, but it worked."

Hannah smirked, "Of course, I made her give up the drinking too."

Ellen laughed, "So, basically, you blackmailed one another?"

I shrugged, "Essentially, yeah," I laughed as well, "Well, anyway, after we got signed with Straight Entertainment, he got us even more help. In fact, just yesterday, we met with our therapist and spoke with her."

Ellen nodded, "By the way, how's it going so far?"

I smiled, "Well, we meet with multiple people for different issues; psychologists, psychiatrist, therapists, etc., and speak with them over the phone and so on. Lola and I meet separately and together, along with other close friends and family members every so often. Honestly though, it's going great. Susan, our therapist, is really helping me realize what my family did is not my fault. I mean, I know it's not but, at the same time, it's tough you know?"

I sighed, "I mean, here I was a child, eventually a teenager, and I'm falling in love with my best friend. How was I supposed to handle it? Who was I to go to? When my family finally did find out, they wouldn't let us see one another. In fact, they beat me and Lola's mother beat her. It was a terrible thing they did but, frankly, they were our parents. How could we truly blame them? To a teenager and, eventually, young women they were too perfect to be blamed."

Ellen nodded her head, smiling compassionately at both Lola and me, "I'm glad you realized it wasn't your fault. Your parents, and Lola's mother, were wrong; they should never have abused you, even if they did disagree with who you loved."

I smiled, "I know. That isn't even the toughest part though. The toughest part was admitting I still love them. I mean, they were my parents. How could I ever _not_ love them, even after everything they did? Sure, they were wrong to abuse me. Sure, they kept me away from my love but, at the same time, they were my parents. I can't ever _hate_ them but, at the same time, I lost respect for them."

Ellen looked surprised, "Wow, Hannah, that's a very _mature_ way of looking at it. Honestly, I'm not sure many people would feel the same way."

I laughed, "Yeah, it's been interesting hearing other's reactions to how I mention my parents. Honestly though, the only reaction Lola and I truly care about, other than our friends and family of course, is from the fans."

Ellen smiled, "Yeah, I know you're very well received by a great many people. In fact, I hear Nashville wanted you to come play."

I nodded my head, "A great deal of places in Tennessee wanted us to come perform for them. For now, we have been turning them down; only, because it'd be too much for us right now. Especially me, I'm still dealing with my feelings and, honestly, going back to my home state would be _very_ tough right now. Don't get me wrong, I love Tennessee and I'll always be a Tennessee girl; it's just hard."

Ellen smiled, rubbing my hand in a comforting mother sort of way, "I understand," she said with a smile.

Lola smiled, whose hand was also being rubbed by Ellen, "Honestly, we're thinking about going back at some point, probably in the next five years, if not sooner, but we're just not ready like Hannah said. I want to go back home eventually, though, and see our hometown but it's too much right now."

Ellen nodded and, with a smile, thankfully changed the subject, "So," she begun, "Tell me, is it true Anthony and Stacey are dating?"

I laughed, "Well, why not ask them yourself?" I pointed over to the seats they were sitting in.

Anthony blushed, as did Stacey, as I did this. He sighed, as a microphone was handed to him, and looked over to Stacey who smiled and then nodded. "Yes, Ellen," he said with gritted teeth, "It's true."

Ellen laughed, "Told you I'd get the scoop," and winked at him. The audience laughed as well. Ellen certainly knew how to break a tense moment. Honestly though, I appreciated it. I was close to tears and I hated crying in public; almost as much as Lola.

I shook my head, "Thank you," I mouthed to Ellen who nodded her head with a smile.

* * *

"Welcome back to The Ellen Show," Ellen shouted from the audience and ran back down to her seat, accompanied by the beat of one of our high and fast songs.

I laughed and shook my head.

"So," Ellen started off, "During our break, Hannah asked for an autograph," she sang, albeit a little off key, "and I gave it to her."

I smiled and shook my head and, sounding like a schoolgirl, said, "Yay!"

She laughed here, "No problem, Hannah."

My smile grew, "Honestly though, Ellen, thank you. I've wanted it for _so long_," I admitted.

She nodded her head again, a big smile on her face, "So, Hannah, Lola," she got serious and raised a suggestive eyebrow, "How's life in the bedroom?"

I blushed and looked down, "Ellen," I groaned, "Come on!"

She laughed, "I'm just asking."

I shook my head, "I'm going to die from embarrassment," I mumbled mostly to myself.

Lola petted my hand, "Actually, Ellen, it's been great!" She giggled.

"Lola," I groaned.

Lola smirked, deciding to embarrass me even more, "We do have one very important rule, though."

Ellen leaned forward, "Oh?" She asked, almost quietly.

Lola nodded, "Yes. Why not tell everyone, Hannah?"

I smirked, "Oh come on," I pouted and crossed my arms, "In front of anyone?"

She nodded, "Yep," and produced a knowing smile, and sang out _Whatever Lola Wants_.

"Lola gets," I said in a monotone voice.

The audience laughed and clapped their hands, enjoying my embarrassment.

Ellen smiled and rubbed by hand, "Hey, nothing wrong with pleasing the woman you love, Hannah."

I chuckled, shaking my head, "There is when the woman you love constantly tries to _embarrass_ you," I shook my head again.

Lola laughed, kissing me on the cheek, "Love you," she said in a sultry tone.

My body involuntarily shook, "Love you too," I groaned out.

Ellen, noticing this movement, smiled even more, "Well," she looked to the camera, "I think that now's the perfect time to say goodbye to our guests, so that they can return to the dressing room," she giggled here, "Thank you both for coming on the show!" She smiled, standing up and shaking our hands, while we did the same.

"Thanks for having us, Ellen," Lola said.

I smiled and just nodded, unable to speak due to Lola's actions, but I did hug Ellen once more before Lola and I left the stage.


	6. Chapter 5

[Lola]

_And things will only get better, I want you to know._

_I am here for you; always here for you._

_Things will only get better, as time goes by,_

_I am here for you._

* * *

The sold out crowd at the stadium cheered for Lola as she finished her song. She smiled and waved to them, "Thank you so much," she said into her microphone, "Hannah and I appreciate each and every one of you. Thanks so much!" She blew them a kiss and then walked off stage.

To be honest, the concert had gone better than Lola expected. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting but she had sung a lot of new solo songs during the concert and had been nervous on how the crowd would react. Thankfully, they cheered her on and that had encouraged her.

"Hey Lola, great job," Stacey said as she hugged her, "I'm so proud of you!"

Lola smiled, "Thanks mom," which, had anyone overheard her, wouldn't matter since she was Hannah's godmother and had, as everyone already knows, helped both women through their issues and had become a mother to both of them.

Anthony came over and hugged Lola as well, "Hey," he said with a huge smile on his face, "Where's Hannah?" He looked around.

"What are you up to, Anthony?" Lola asked suspiciously.

Anthony shrugged, "I am not sure what you are referring to," he held up his hands in an _innocent_ way but, nevertheless, he had a huge grin on his face.

* * *

A few minutes later, Lola entered Hannah and hers shared dressing room. "Hey," Lola said, "Anthony has something he wants to talk to us about."

Hannah smirked, "I knew he was hiding something. He kept grinning at me during the concert."

Lola shrugs, "Should I let them in?"

Hannah laughs, "Might as well."

Lola nods and opens the door, "Well," she said with flair, "Come in, then!"

Anthony smirks as Stacey and he enters the room, closing the door behind them, "Thanks," he said while the mischievous look never left his face.

"What is it?" Hannah asked suspiciously.

"Well," he said and then paused, "How do the two of you feel about children?"

Lola looked to Hannah and, raising her right eyebrow, shrugged, "We never really discussed it?" She questions.

Stacey smacks her boyfriend in the chest, "What he means is that there is this young girl who needs a family. She's a very talented singer that Anthony has been represented but, unfortunately, her family has abused her and used her for her money. Well, just recently, the courts have ruled to place her in protective custody. They're trying to find her a good home."

Hannah looked shocked, "And," she hesitated, "You're thinking about me and Lola?"

Lola was also shocked. A child? So soon? Wow. She didn't know what to think.

Anthony nodded his head, "Yeah, I know the judge, along with the girl's case worker, and they asked me to recommend a couple. I mentioned the two of you and, after discussing it, they said that if you're interested they'd be willing to okay it. Obviously, you wouldn't be after her money since, quite frankly, the two of you make more than her anyway. You'd also be loving parents, I'd think, and," he grins here, "this is my agent side talking here; would be able to continue your tour since, let's face it, all three of you are singers."

Lola laughed at this, "It sounds like he's already got it figured out."

Hannah shrugged, "We will have to think about it, Anthony, honestly."

Anthony nodded, "Alright, let me know though." He smiled here, "But, I just want to say, even if you _did_ quit singing, the two of you would make excellent mommies." He winked then walked out with Stacey, who was giggling a little but nodded her head to show she agreed.

"Mommies?" Lola sat down, "Hannah," she said as she faced her girlfriend, "I don't know if I'm ready?" She hesitated, "I mean, we just recently turned twenty…" She sighed, "I," she gulped, "I mean, I love you," she admitted, "and we already live together and share the money we make anyway," she sighed, "I don't know; what do you think?"

Hannah was quiet for a few moments but then spoke, "Well," she said with a smile, "I know that I can do _anything_ with you, Lola," she smiled here, "but, I want to make this decision with you; okay?"

Lola nodded her and then smiled, "Well, let's sleep on it, okay?"

Hannah smiled and rubbed her girlfriend's cheek, "Okay, but he was right about one thing."

Lola looked confused, "What's that?"

Hannah grinned sheepishly then said, "You'd make a wonderful _mommy_."

Lola blushed a crimson shade, "You too," she whispered as she kissed her girlfriend.

* * *

**Five Days Later, Sunday**

Both Hannah and Lola had discussed, re-discussed, and spoken about it over and over. After finally deciding that they wanted to meet the young girl, whose name was kept from them, they spoke with Anthony who set up a meeting for them.

They were initially concerned since they were not married, along with both being women, but the judge and social worker had put those concerns to rest. It seemed like neither of those facts would be issues in this case. Apparently the young girl's parents were already arrested and convicted and would be spending a number of years behind bars.

The young girl was previously physically abused, although was not sexually abused, which Hannah and Lola were thankful for. Although haven't not met her yet, and not even aware of her identity, which was apparently to help protect the girl, Hannah and Lola were already falling in love with her—or at least, the _idea_ of having a child.

When they had asked the judge and case worker for her name, they were only told that it was a high profile case and, in order to prevent people from wanting to adopt her due to the girl's name, they were keeping it private until they were certain they found the right parents.

To say that Hannah and Lola were waiting by the phone this past week with bated breath would be an understatement, in fact they even rescheduled interviews and concerts to be free for the whole process. They had been quiet about it, due to the private nature of the case, along with to be in compliance with the request of Child Protective Services.

Nevertheless, the process was rather fast, much faster than either expected, but it seemed like they were on the top of the list. The judge, Judge Robinson, explained that when Anthony first mentioned them he wasn't too sure about it—given their intensive life style but, after meeting with them throughout the week, and seeing how much they rescheduled their activities that week, he decided that they did really want to adopt.

The CPS agent, along with the social worker, both also agreed with the judge. Even more than that, both Ms. Lamb and Ms. Talons recommended them above the other applicants. Partly because of the young girl's talents, along with the abuse aspect of the case, which both Hannah and Lola could relate to.

Of course, Ms. Lamb had made them swear that this was not to build some type of singing family or other publicity stunt. She made it clear that if they did adopt the young girl, it would be because they loved her and she loved them; not because of their talents. Obviously, both Hannah and Lola agreed. Why? Because they both had realized how much they wanted children; notice the plural, eventually they wanted more.

* * *

**Monday, Private CPS Park.**

Right now, they were walking in a private park that belonged to CPS, where special case kids could come and enjoy themselves without fear of being followed or watched. They had only been told certain basics about the child and, after a number of meetings with various people, had been deemed fit to adopt the young girl.

"So," Ms. Lamb started, "She's playing over there on the jungle gym," she pointed to a young brunette girl hanging upside down.

"Wow, she's so young," Hannah said, "How old is she?"

Ms. Lamb smiled, "She's nine, almost ten."

Lola whistled, "Wow," she then sighed, "So young. Why would her parents abuse her?" She held back her tears, rubbing her eyes, "Sorry," she said in a whisper.

Ms. Lamb shook her head, "It's fine, I don't understand either."

Hannah sighed, "Can we, uh, go talk to her?" She seemed nervous.

Ms. Lamb smiled, "Of course."

Both Hannah and Lola walked over, Hannah holding onto Lola's hand for dear life.

Lola smiled at the young girl, "Hi," she said, "I'm Lola. This is my girlfriend, Hannah, Ms. Lamb," she pointed over to the older woman, "said we could come over."

The young girl smiled, showing some of her missing teeth, "Hi," she said, "I know who you are. I listen to some of your music," she admitted, "I like it." She giggled.

Hannah smiled, "Really? Aw, thanks."

The young girl nodded then jumped off the monkey bars, "Hey, are you going to adopt me?" She sounded nervous but hopeful.

Hannah smiled, leaning down and nodded, "We'd like to. If that's okay?"

The young girl shrugged, "Will you hit me?" She rubbed her foot into the ground, sounding nervous as her foot rubbed into the mulch.

Hannah shook her head, "Never, sweetie. You have our word, right Lola?"

Lola nodded her head, leaning down now as well, "Right. We'd never hurt you, okay?"

The girl nodded, looking between the adults and then smiled, "Okay," she said, "Pinky promise?"

Both women smiled and put their respective pinkies out, which the girl quickly took into both her own frail hands, "Pinky promise," all three said together.

The girl smiled wilder now, "So," she said, "My names, uh, Mikayla," she said in a nervous voice.

Both Hannah and Lola nodded their heads, only now remembering having heard the name before. Apparently the girl was a very good singer but her career was short lived, due to the parent's abuse becoming known after a stage hand witnessed the father hitting Mikayla. The mother was granted custody, which was later revoked, when she was also witnessed hitting her.

Hannah smiled and, in a small voice, said, "Mikayla, would you like a hug?"

Mikayla shrugged, "Yeah," she admitted, "if you want to, that is."

Hannah smiled and held out her hands, "You never have to ask, okay? I'll _always_ want to hug you."

Mikayla giggled and hugged her new mommy, "What do I call you?" She wondered.

Hannah laughed, "What do you want to call me?"

Mikayla shrugged again, "Mommy?"

Hannah's heart was sold at that point. Who would have thought one word could make her whole being be wrapped around someone so small. It was like this little girl had bought her or something. Who knew the price was such a small, yet powerful, word?

Lola aw'd and smiled, joining the hug as well, "You don't have to ask me for hugs either," she told Mikayla, "Mine are just as free as mommy's."

Mikayla nodded, "Alright, mama," she said; the word just coming out without a second thought.

Well, Lola was purchased just as easily and, just like Hannah, Lola was wondering how one word could make her whole being become wrapped around this little girl's pinky. Because, frankly, whether little Mikayla realized it or not, both Hannah and Lola would do anything for her.

Hannah sniffed as the hug broke up, "I love you, Mikayla, okay?"

Mikayla began crying at those words, "O-kay," she managed in a broken way.

Hannah smiled and picked the young girl up, as Lola and she walked back over to Ms. Lamb, who had been silently watching.

* * *

**Ms. Lamb's POV**

I've been working in this field for many years and, although I've seen families instantly click before, it's normally not that easy. Especially with abuse cases but, even with those, sometimes families do instantly click. Quite frankly, I'm glad that this is one of those cases.

I know I'm sometimes a hard ass but, especially in my line of work, sometimes it's best to be. It helps root out unfit parents and scare them into giving up their children or back out of the adoption process. It's a shame to say but not everyone is fit to be a parent. I wish we never had to take away children from their birth parents but, unfortunately, this career has taught me that not every parent is fit to be a mother or a father.

It's cases like this that make me truly grateful that I chose this type of work, though. As I watched the three of them interact and, especially hug, it only confirms what I already suspected. Hannah and Lola will make excellent mothers. Them not being married is only a small hiccup in my mind. I know that some people will judge them, especially with them both being women, but frankly I've seen many unmarried and single parents to better jobs than those who are married.

Don't get me wrong though, I hope they do eventually get married but, whether they do or not, that won't prevent them from being great parents. I see a great future for the three of them. Of course it won't be easy, as nothing worthwhile ever is, but it _will _be worth it.

"Hey," I say as they walk over, "just some paperwork we have to take care of then you can take Mikayla home."

They nod and Hannah looks at me questionably, "What about the judge?"

I smirk knowingly, "He already signed off on it."

I think I see three emotions on Hannah's and Lola's faces. Shock and bewilderment over my statement but the third is the most powerful; love. Lots and lots of love.

_That_ is why I love this job.


End file.
